Cat Interview Explains Consent

Tell 'em, Coco.

Cats are well known and loved for their cute (and sometimes terrifying) antics, but lately they've been getting a little more serious. We saw the cat who proved the newspaper industry is still alive with his favorite litter box read, and now one cat has even made his print debut with a new interview. And while many on social media have lauded the cat and his interviewer for their hard hitting exchange, one person pointed out that the interview between owner and kitty is a perfect illustration of how to get consent.

In a tweet on December 4, Twitter user @MrPaulDuane tweeted a photo of an interview his daughter conducted with her cat, Coco. In the interview, the girl starts out by asking Coco if she can rub the top of her head. Coco replies that absolutely, her owner is more than welcome to pat her on the head. The girl continues to ask Coco if she can pat her on the back, to which Coco is also open. Then, the girl asks Coco if she can rub her belly, and that's where Coco draws the line.

"YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO EVER TOUCH MY TUMMY," Coco replies — in all caps. Coco is also not OK with the girl touching her on the legs, the tail, or the butt. In fact, when the girl asks if she can touch Coco on the butt, Coco cuts the interview short.

"IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU?!?! THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER," Coco said.

While many have been getting a kick out of this interview, Twitter user Mary Emily O'Hara pointed out that the interview shows exactly how consent works — and she's right. Before touching anyone, we should ask them if it's ok, and look for enthusiastic consent — much like what Coco gave her owner when her owner asked to rub her on the head. Instead of assuming that Coco's consent to pat her head also gave her consent to pat other areas, Coco's owner then asked for consent to touch other specific areas of the cat. This is exactly how consent between people should also work. Before hugging or touching someone in any way, we should always ask. And just because a partner consents to one kind of touch, that doesn't mean you can touch them in other areas.